HELLO AND WELCOME TO MY BLOG.
My name is Dr Haygoush Kalinian, I am the Founder & Director of Coastal Neuropsychology Specialists (CNS) in Orange County, CA.
CNS evaluates and treats children, adolescents, adults and the elderly with neurological, cognitive (thinking abilities), behavioral, & psychiatric disorders.
The purpose of this blog is for education and information. If you need professional advice, please contact our office (949) 481-8414.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Maintaining Balance And Listening At The Same Time May Become More Difficult For Older Adults

ScienceDaily (Feb. 17, 2009) — Listening to a conversation or audio book while walking or exercising sounds simple enough for most people, but it may become more difficult for people in their upper 70s and above, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Supported by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, one of the National Institutes of Health, the scientists are presenting their findings at the 2009 Midwinter Meeting of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology in Baltimore.

Researchers evaluated how well three groups of adults -- healthy young (ages 24-27), old (ages 65-71), and "old-old" (ages 76-82 years) -- were able to conduct a listening exercise while their visual and balance systems were kept busy. Seated in swivel chairs that were either upright or at a 30-degree tilt, the volunteers performed two listening-related tasks while motionless or spinning in darkness or in light. In one task, they listened to a high- or low-pitch tone and pressed a button in their right or left hand depending on the pitch.

In the second task, volunteers listened to tones in their right or left ears and pressed the corresponding button.The researchers found that, in general, all age groups reacted more slowly to the audio cues when spinning than when motionless. However, this was especially true for people in the oldest age group. They also found that stimulation of the ear's gravity-sensing organs – through the 30-degree tilt of the chair -- was especially powerful in slowing down a person's auditory reaction time. Again, this effect was most pronounced for people in the oldest age group.

About Me

Dr. Kalinian is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in the State of California and credentialed by the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology.
She is engaged in private practice in the areas of Forensic and Neuropsychological Evaluation and Treatment of adults and the elderly who suffer from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Post-Concussive Syndrome (PCS), Stroke (Brain Attack), Attention-Deficit-Disorder (ADD/ADHD), Seizure Disorder, Epilepsy, anoxic njuries, dementia (e.g., Alzheimer's Disease), and other neurological, medical, and psychiatric disorders.
Additionally, Dr. Kalinian is a consultant to the Dept. of Medicine of Mission Hospital St. Joseph Health System and an Adjunct Faculty at Argosy University/Orange County Campus.
Furthermore, Dr. Kalinian also conducts workshops, presents locally and nationally, and publishes on topics related to Brain Disorders, Clinical and Forensic Neuropsychology.
Dr. K, as she is affectionately known can be reached at:
30320 Rancho Viejo Rd., Suite 5
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Tel: (949) 481-8414
Fax: (949) 481-8415